Treatment of Produced Water From A Subterranean Formation

ABSTRACT

Systems for water treatment may include an evaporation unit, wherein the evaporation unit comprises: a first blower; a spacer, wherein the spacer may be fluidly coupled to the first blower; a diffuser fluidly coupled to the spacer, at least one arm fluidly coupled to and disposed radially around the diffuser. The at least one arm is configured to rotate to create a negative pressure as to allow the air mass to be drafted out into the contaminated water.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/394,627, filed Dec. 29, 2016, issuing as U.S. Pat. No. 10,519,044 onDec. 31, 2019; which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Within recent years, the oil and gas industry has developed the use ofhydraulic fracturing to produce what was once considered nonproductiveoil and gas formations. This hydraulic fracturing technology may requirethe use of high volumes of water to be pumped into subterranean wellsunder tremendous rates and pressures to pry rock apart, thereby allowingthe oil and gas that is trapped within the matrix of the oil and gasformations to migrate to the wellbore and production casing. Althoughthe use of this technology may have allowed high volumes of oil and gasrecovery from the oil and gas formations, the use of these large volumesof water has been widely scrutinized. Because the water that may be usedduring these fracturing operations is preferably clean and free fromcontaminants, current technologies may use fresh water sources that maynormally be used for irrigation and human consumption. The use of thesefresh water supplies may have an impact on the availability of freshwater for human consumption and irrigation.

Although the water that may be pumped into the oil and gas formationsmay be recovered over the production life of the oil and gas well, thewater may become contaminated with chemicals from the fracturing processand minerals that are leached from the producing reservoir during theproduction of the well. Many oil and gas reservoirs may have beencreated from decomposed organic matter generated from oceanic sea beds.Fresh water may mix with the salt water that may typically be producedfrom the hydrocarbon formations making both the frac water and theformation water unsuitable for human consumption or reuse for hydraulicfracturing. This water that may be produced or that flows back from thewell may then be disposed of by pumping it into deep nonproductive oiland gas formations. This cycle may be repeated for each well and may usehundreds of thousands of barrels for each operation.

Recently, this disposal process has come under scrutiny due to increasedseismic activity that has occurred in conjunction with the pumping ofthe water into these subterranean reservoirs. It is for this reason thatthe industry has an increased need to find a way to reduce the amount ofwater that may be disposed of in these underground formations. Thevolume of water and the high level of the Total Dissolved Solids (“TDS”)may make it difficult to filter using a Reverse Osmosis unit for surfacedischarge purposes. In the past, distillation systems may have been usedto evaporate and condense the water for discharge purposes. However, thecost for the energy or BTUs to distill the water proved to often beuneconomical to use on a large scale basis.

In another instance, evaporation processes may have been used toeliminate the water and recover the solids contained in the water. Thesesystems may spray large volumes of water into the air using blowers andmisting systems to evaporate the water. The solids may then fall intocollection or evaporation pits. This process may be problematic due towind causing the solids or salt to be blown outside of the evaporationpits or collection areas. This may then be compensated by the use ofwind walls to prevent the drifting of the sprayed/misted water. Thesewind walls may generate static areas of high humidity air masses,thereby reducing the efficiencies of the evaporation process. In thepast, this may have been compensated for by setting up wind sensors thatwould turn blowers on and off on different sides of the evaporation pitsto compensate for wind direction.

In another instance, an enclosure may be placed over the entireevaporation pit to prevent drift caused by the wind. In this case, theenclosure may be ventilated to continuously move air into and out of theenclosure to avoid saturation of the air mass.

Therefore, there may exist a need for a system to evaporate and/orreduce the volumes of water that are being disposed of without theissues of containment that are generated by blowing high solids waterinto the atmosphere, and allowing them to fall into collection orevaporation pits.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These drawings illustrate certain aspects of some of the embodiments ofthe present disclosure and should not be used to limit or define thedisclosure.

FIG. 1 illustrates a chart showing volumetric air requirements forevaporation based on the temperature of the air mass.

FIG. 2 illustrates an evaporation unit in accordance with embodiments ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates a plurality of evaporation units in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of a diffuser in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates an arm with a plurality of apertures in accordancewith embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates an arm comprising a plurality of hollow tubes inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 illustrates an arm comprising a venturi in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 illustrates an arm comprising a screen in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 illustrates a drying tunnel in accordance with embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 10 illustrates a drying tunnel positioned on a vehicle trailer inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 illustrates a plurality of drying tunnels positioned on vehicletrailers in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 illustrates an alternate embodiment of an evaporation unitwithout a diffuser positioned in a water storage pit in accordance withthe present disclosure.

FIG. 13 illustrates an alternate embodiment of a plurality ofevaporation units without diffusers positioned in a water storage pit inaccordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 14 illustrates another embodiment of an evaporation unit without adiffuser positioned completely in a storage tank in accordance with thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 15 illustrates an alternate embodiment of a plurality ofevaporation units without diffusers positioned completely in a storagetank in accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 16 illustrates another embodiment of an evaporation unit with ablower positioned on top of a storage tank in accordance with thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 17 illustrates an alternate embodiment of a plurality ofevaporation units with blowers positioned on top of a storage tank inaccordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 18 illustrates another embodiment of an evaporation unit positionedcompletely inside a storage tank in accordance with the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 19 illustrates an alternate embodiment of a plurality ofevaporation units positioned completely inside a storage tank inaccordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 20 illustrates another embodiment of an evaporation unit with ablower positioned on top of a storage tank in accordance with thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 21 illustrates an alternate embodiment of a plurality ofevaporation units with blowers positioned on top of a storage tank inaccordance with the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Water may exist naturally in subterranean formations and may be producedin conjunction with hydrocarbons from the subterranean formations. Watermay also be injected into a subterranean formation to stimulatehydrocarbon production (e.g., hydraulic fracturing or fracking). Whenthe water is produced from the subterranean formations, it may compriseamounts of dissolved salts and other substances which may make itunsuitable for agriculture and human consumption.

The present disclosure may generally relate to the treatment ofcontaminated water (e.g. salt water/brine), and more specifically to theevaporation of water produced from a subterranean formation. Embodimentsof the present disclosure may include mechanical agitation withsubmerged aeration to saturate an air mass, thereby accelerating theevaporation process, without generating the environmental concerns ofhigh total TDS fluids being carried outside of the evaporation zone.Brine may comprise a brine solution comprising at least 10 wt % NaCl. Insome embodiments, brine may comprise a brine solution comprising about10 wt % NaCl to about 25 wt % NaCl. In other embodiments, brine maycomprise a brine solution comprising more than 25 wt % NaCl. Otherranges may include ranges above what may be considered dischargeable tosurface ground waters. As the water becomes concentrated and saturatedwith salts, the heavier water may be pulled off and then injected intosubterranean disposal wells at significantly lower volumes then normal,thereby reducing the subsurface pressurization and aiding in preventionof seismic occurrences.

By allowing air to be mixed and released below the water surface, theair mass may become saturated before it breaks the surface of the water.Systems, methods and devices of the present disclosure may substantiallyimprove the evaporation efficiency of the water by allowing the air masstemperature to rise to the temperature of the water contained in a pitthat the air mass is in contact with, which may be above the temperatureof the air mass above the pit. This may be important during wintermonths where the air mass temperatures within certain regions may bebelow 30° F. Systems, methods and devices of the present disclosure mayalso allow for high rates of oxygen transfer due to the high volumes ofair (e.g., 100,000 cubic feet of air per minute) that may be moved. Byincreasing the air that may be in contact with the water, the amount ofdissolved oxygen may be increased. Standard aeration systems may use asmuch as 1,500 horsepower to move 5,000 cubic feet of air per minute. Ofthis 5,000 cfm, only a small percentage of the air mass may go intosolution in the form of dissolved oxygen. This may typically be around2% of the oxygen that is within the air mass, which may render thesystem 98% inefficient. To overcome these inefficiencies, higher volumesof air may need to be moved at lower horsepower (“HP”). In comparison, a50 HP axial fan may move 100,000 cubic feet per minute (“cfm”), therebyincreasing the amount of dissolved oxygen per horsepower by more than 30times. In the past, aeration systems have relied on moving air (e.g., anair mass) into water in order to infuse oxygen into the water or settingup blowers that would feed headers, and the headers would then feedcontrol lines that went into the water at various depths to feeddiffusers or other mechanisms to distribute the air into the water.Systems, methods and devices of the present disclosure may eliminate theneed for headers or control lines to distribute the air into the water.

In certain embodiments, flow back and/or produced water may be pumped orhauled into a storage pit or storage reservoir via trucks or othergathering systems. Blowers may be placed into the pit and spaced basedon volumetric requirements for evaporation or for aeration purposes.

FIG. 1 illustrates a chart showing volumetric air requirements forevaporation based on the temperature of the air mass. It should be notedthat the number of pounds of water that may be evaporated per 1,000cubic feet of air may be highly dependent on the initial relativehumidity of the air mass and the temperature of the air. This relativehumidity may fluctuate during the course of the day. Therefore, systems,methods and devices of the present disclosure may include programsconfigured to turn on systems and devices of the present disclosureduring low relative humidity times of about 30% to about 70%, therebylowering the cost of energy and improving the efficiencies of a vaportransfer. For example, if the number of pounds of water per 1,000 cubicfeet of air is 1, and the relative humidity is 70%, then the pounds ofwater that the 1,000 cubic feet may be capable of absorbing beforebecoming saturated or reaching 100% relative humidity may be 0.30 or 30%of the 1 pound per thousand cubic feet. Therefore, a blower that maymove 10,000 cubic feet per minute may be capable of evaporating about 3pounds of water per minute at an initial air mass relative humidity of70%. However, at an initial relative humidity of 30%, about 7 pounds ofwater per minute may be evaporated. Based on this calculation, theaverage annual relative humidity may be used to calculate the number ofevaporation devices and the size of the evaporation devices to achieve acertain volume of evaporation per day. The moisture holding capacity ofair may be 1 lb of water per 1,000 cubic feet of dry air. The moistureholding capacity of air at 100° F. may be about 10 times the moistureholding capacity of air at 30° F. This may be an important observation,especially when working in areas where air temperatures may be lowduring certain times of the year.

FIG. 2 illustrates an evaporation unit 100. Evaporation unit 100 mayinclude blower 104, spacer 106, and diffuser 108. Evaporation unit 100may be positioned within a body of water 101 of storage pit 102 forwater (e.g., produced water which may include brine). The spacer 106 anddiffuser 108 may be submerged (completely or partially) in the body ofwater 101. Blower 104 may be above the water surface 110. The body ofwater 101 may be received and stored in storage pit 102 from asubterranean formation. In embodiments, evaporation unit 100 may beelectrically powered and may be placed at a depth below the watersurface 110. This may range from about 4 inches below the water surface110 to about 30 feet, relative to water surface 110. Evaporation unit100 may also be powered by any other suitable source. Evaporation unit100 may have a weight from about 200 lbs to about 1,000 lbs. Evaporationunit 100 may be suitable for gas-liquid reactions at temperatures belowabout 160° F. and pressures below about 30 psi. Evaporation unit 100 maybiologically degrade organic substances and may further oxidize organicsubstances. Evaporation unit 100 may also provide aeration with anysuitable gas, such as, for example, air, pure oxygen, ozone, CO₂, andthe like. Placement/removal of evaporation unit 100 into/from storagepit 102 may be accomplished with a crane or any other suitable device.For example, a crane may lift/remove evaporation unit 100 from storagepit 102 (e.g., for maintenance, completion of evaporation process) andmay place evaporation unit 100 into storage pit 102.

Blower 104 may include a high volume blower that may be placed above thewater surface 110. Blower 104 may move over 100,000 cubic feet of airper minute. In certain embodiments, blower 104 may move about 10,000cubic feet of air per minute to about 500,000 cubic feet of air perminute. Or multiple blowers 104 may be incorporated to move highervolumes. Blower 104 may be fluidly coupled to spacer 106. The innerdiameter of blower 104 may be about 12 inches to about 96 inches. Blower104 may be electrically powered and may include a motor rated from about7 horsepower to about 150 horsepower. Blower 104 may also be powered byany other suitable means. Blower 104 may include ducted fans.Historically, ducted fans have not been used for aeration applicationsdue to their inability to overcome high head pressure withoutcavitation. In order to compensate for the low pressure high volumecapability of the ducted fans and function at greater depths, a smallamount or about 5% to about 10% of the overall volume of the fan may bereleased along the spacer 106 and at sufficiently shallow depths,between about 4 inches to about 12 inches, into the body of water 101 asto allow the hydrostatic head pressure of the water to be gas cutthereby reducing the head pressure and allowing the air to then migrateto the next depth. Once the hydrostatic head pressure has beensufficiently gas cut to allow blower 104 to push air to the lowest pointof the evaporation unit 100, the weight of water 101 in proximity of theoutside of the evaporation unit 100 may be reduced by the volumetricdisplacement value of the air occupying that space. An example of thismay be if the weight of the water 101 is 9.6 pounds per gallon in thestorage pit 102, and the head pressure at a depth of 14 feet is 6.8 psi.By adding 50% by volume of air, the head pressure may be reduced to 3.4psi or below the pressure values of the blower 104 capabilities.

Spacer 106 may include a hollow cylindrical pipe that may have an innerdiameter that may reduce any friction from a moving air mass withinspacer 106. Spacer 106 may extend from several feet above the watersurface 110 to below the water surface 110. Spacer 106 may be made ofany suitable material, such as, for example, metal (e.g., steel,alloys). The inner diameter of spacer 106 may be about 12 inches toabout 96 inches. Spacer 106 may be designed to direct an air massthroughout the storage pit 102 to increase the amount of water (e.g.,body of water 101) that the air mass is in contact with, therebyimproving the evaporation or saturation of the air mass. Spacer 106 maybe fluidly coupled to diffuser 108. Diffuser 108 may be positioned at adepth that may be below the water surface 110 and above a maximum headpressure that the blower 104 may be capable of generating. Diffuser 108may be placed on the bottom 103 of storage pit 102. The coupling of theblower 104 to spacer 106 and the coupling of spacer 106 to diffuser 108may be accomplished by any suitable means, such as, for example,threads, welds, bolts or combinations thereof. This coupling mayeliminate the need for manifolds or headers to transfer the air fromremotely positioned blowers. This coupling may further reduce the needfor after coolers to be used to cool the air mass, thereby preventingdamage to the diffuser 108. This coupling may also reduce friction,thereby reducing overall horsepower requirements.

During operation of evaporation unit 100, blower 104 may capture (e.g.,via suction) an air mass from the surrounding area and may blow/forcethe air mass through spacer 106 into diffuser 108. The air mass may thenexit diffuser 108 into the body of water 101, thereby aerating the bodyof water 101. The diffuser 108 may break the air mass into smallerbubbles (e.g., microbubbles) to increase the evaporation uptake of theair mass. Microbubbles may be bubbles with a diameter greater than 1micrometer and less than 1 millimeter. Diffuser 108 may also provideturbulence and movement of the water (e.g., body of water 101), therebyincreasing surface evaporation and fluid mixing. This may be importantwhen the evaporation unit 100 is used for aeration of waste watertreatment to aid in aerobic bacterial digestion or water clarification.As the water evaporates, substances in the water (e.g., salt) may fallinto storage pit 102. The fallen substances (e.g., salt) may be removedfrom storage pit 102 to a storage container and/or vehicle. The unitizedstructure (e.g., the coupling of blower 104 to spacer 106 and thecoupling of spacer 106 to diffuser 108) of evaporation unit 100 maysubstantially reduce the cost and infrastructure in treatingcontaminated water. Evaporation unit 100 may be deployed within minutesor hours, thereby allowing them to be moved from site to site based ondemand. It should be noted that although a single evaporation unit 100is depicted in FIG. 2, a plurality of evaporation units 100 may beutilized, as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of diffuser 108. Diffuser 108 may comprisea plurality of arms 112 and a circular portion 120. The configuration ofdiffuser 108 may resemble a hub and spokes configuration. Each arm 112may comprise a proximal end 116 and a distal end 118. Proximal end 116may be coupled to circular portion 120 by any suitable means such aswelds. Each arm 112 may be hollow and tubular in shape. In someembodiments, the plurality of arms 112 may rotate, allowing water withinthe arms 112 to be centrifugally evacuated, thereby generating acavitation effect and aiding to overcome head pressure of the water andallowing the air to exit deeper below the water surface 110. Arms 112may be of a rectangular tubing and may be of a length between about 12inches to about 96 inches. Arms 112 may be configured to allow therotation to create a negative pressure behind a leading edge of the arm112 as to allow air to be drafted out into the body of water 101 fromthe blower 104. Each arm 112 may have a configuration as described belowin FIGS. 5-8.

FIG. 5 illustrates an arm 112 with a plurality of apertures 122 (e.g.,slots). Each aperture 122 may have a diameter from about 1 inch to about2 inches, and may be configured to funnel an air mass as the air massexits each aperture 122, thereby creating microbubbles in a body ofwater (e.g., body of water 101 shown on FIG. 2). During operation ofevaporation unit 100, blower 104 may capture (e.g., via suction) an airmass from the surrounding area and may blow/force the air mass throughspacer 106 into diffuser 108. The flow of the air mass is denoted byarrows 131. The air mass may then exit diffuser 108 via apertures 122into the body of water 101, thereby aerating the body of water 101.Apertures 122 may provide an air flow at angle 305 relative to thecentral axis (denoted by reference number 300). Angle 305 may be anysuitable angle to create the microbubbles. In embodiments, angle 305 maybe about 10° to about 90°, alternatively about 10° to about 75°,alternatively about 40° to about 50° (e.g., 45°).

FIG. 6 illustrates an arm 112 comprising a plurality of hollow tubes124. As shown, tubes 124 extend outward from arm 112. The plurality ofhollow tubes 124 may each comprise a proximal end 127, which may befluidly coupled to the body 113 of arm 112 by any suitable means such aswelds. Each hollow tube 124 may be coupled to body 113 at angle 602relative to the central axis 600 of arm 112. Angle 602 may be anysuitable angle to create the microbubbles. In embodiments, angle 602 maybe about 10° to about 90°, alternatively about 10° to about 75°, andalternatively about 40° to about 50° (e.g., 45°). Each tube 124 may havea length of about 8 inches to about 12 inches with an inner diameter ofabout 1 inch to about 4 inches. Each tube 124 may have an opening 125positioned at a distal end 129 of each tube 124. Each tube 124 may beconfigured to create microbubbles in a body of water (e.g., body ofwater 101 shown on FIG. 2) as an air mass exits each tube 124 viaopening 125. During operation of evaporation system 100, blower 104(e.g., as shown on FIG. 2) may capture (e.g., via suction) an air massfrom the surrounding area and may blow/force the air mass through spacer106 into diffuser 108. The flow of the air mass is denoted by arrows133. The air mass may then exit diffuser 108 via hollow tubes 124 intothe body of water 101, thereby aerating the body of water 101.

FIG. 7 illustrates an arm 112 with a venturi 126 fluidly coupled todistal end 118. Venturi 126 may be coupled to arm 112 by any suitablemeans such as welds. Venturi 126 may be configured to createmicrobubbles in a body of water (e.g., body of water 101 shown on FIG.2) as an air mass exits the venturi 126. It is to be understood thatventure 126 refers to a constricted section of pipe that causes areduction in fluid pressure. During operation of evaporation system 100,blower 104 (e.g., as shown on FIG. 2) may capture (e.g., via suction) anair mass from the surrounding area and may blow/force the air massthrough spacer 106 into diffuser 108. The air mass may then exitdiffuser 108 via venturi 126 into the body of water 101, therebyaerating the body of water 101.

FIG. 8 illustrates an arm 112 with a screen 128 coupled to distal end118 by any suitable means, such as, welds. Screen 128 may be made fromany suitable metal, such as, for example, stainless steel. Screen 128may be configured to create microbubbles in a body of water (e.g., bodyof water 101 shown on FIG. 2) as air passes/exits through screen 128.Mesh size of the screen 128 may be about 20 to about 100 mesh. Duringoperation of evaporation system 100, blower 104 (e.g., as shown on FIG.2) may capture (e.g., via suction) an air mass from the surrounding areaand may blow/force the air mass through spacer 106 into diffuser 108.The air mass may then exit diffuser 108 via screen 128 into the body ofwater 101, thereby aerating the body of water 101.

As shown in FIG. 9, in some embodiments, water from storage pit 102,which may include brine, may be pumped to a drying tunnel or evaporatorand collection tunnel where additional air may be pumped into theevaporation tunnel while the water is sprayed into the air mass withinthe drying tunnel. Brine may comprise a brine solution comprising atleast 10 wt % NaCl. In some embodiments, brine may comprise a brinesolution comprising about 10 wt % NaCl to about 25 wt % NaCl. In otherembodiments, brine may comprise a brine solution comprising more than 25wt % NaCl. Other ranges may include ranges above what may be considereddischargeable to surface ground waters. As the water becomesconcentrated and saturated with salts, the heavier water may be pulledoff and then injected into subterranean disposal wells at significantlylower volumes then normal, thereby reducing the subsurfacepressurization and aiding in prevention of seismic occurrences.

FIG. 9 illustrates tunnel 130 (e.g., a drying tunnel). Tunnel 130 may bea hollow conduit or recess. Tunnel 130 may be utilized in combinationwith evaporation unit(s) 100, or tunnel 130 may be utilized by itself.Tunnel 130 may include proximal end 132 and distal end 134. Distal end134 may be open to the atmosphere. Tunnel 130 may include a shape of adrum or barrel. Tunnel 130 may comprise blower 136, nozzles 138, heaters140 and a chamber 142 (e.g., a solids collection chamber). Tunnel 130may be positioned at an inclination angle, α, from about 1° to about 90°relative to horizontal (e.g., x axis, as shown). Alternatively,inclination angle, α, may be about 30° to about 90°, or about 40° toabout 50° (e.g., 45°). Tunnel 130 may be of a sufficient size and innerdiameter and may be heated to prevent any carry over of the air mass.Tunnel 130 may include an inner diameter of about 8 feet to about 12feet and a length of about 50 feet to about 200 feet. Tunnel 130 may bemade of any suitable material, such as, for example, metal (e.g., steel,alloys).

Blower 136 may be fluidly coupled to proximal end 132 by any suitablemeans, such as, welds. Blower 136 may include a high volume blower andmay move over 100,000 cubic feet of air per minute. In certainembodiments, blower 136 may move about 10,000 cubic feet of air perminute to about 500,000 cubic feet of air per minute. The inner diameterof blower 136 may be about 12 inches to about 96 inches. Blower 136 maybe electrically powered and may include a motor rated from about 7horsepower to about 150 horsepower. Blower 136 may also be powered byany other suitable means. Blower 136 may include ducted fans. Blower 136may be placed at the lower end of tunnel 130 (e.g., proximal end 132)with a collection point (e.g., chamber 142) for the solids above theblower 136. Blower 136 may move over 100,000 cubic feet of air perminute. In certain embodiments, blower 136 may move about 10,000 cubicfeet of air per minute to about 100,000 cubic feet of air per minute.Blower 136 may aid in evaporating the water within tunnel 130. Blower136 may be electrically powered and may include a motor rated from about7 horsepower to about 150 horsepower. Blower 136 may have an innerdiameter from about 8 feet to about 12 feet.

Nozzles 138 may be disposed between the blower 136 and heaters 140.Nozzles 138 may be nozzles used in misting and evaporation systems. Insome embodiments, nozzles 138 may include a plurality of nozzles (e.g.,10-40 nozzles, 30-35 nozzles, alternatively 32 nozzles) that may sprayabout 30 gallons per minute into the tunnel 130 with an air temperatureof about 100° F. and an air rate of about 100,000 cfm. Based on theevaporation chart, the air mass at that temperature may be capable ofholding about 300 lbs of water per min, or absorbing about 30 gallonsper minute of water. The rate of water exiting the nozzles 138 may beadjusted to compensate for the influent air temperature to reach fullevaporation. Nozzles 138 may be fluidly coupled to storage pit 102(e.g., via line 152 and pump 154). Storage pit 102 may supply nozzles138 with water. Nozzles 138 may be configured to spray water (e.g.,water from storage pit 102) into tunnel 130.

Heaters 140 (e.g., electrically powered heaters) may include bandheaters and/or direct contact heaters. Any other suitable heaters may beutilized. Heaters 140 may be incorporated on the outside surface 144 oftunnel 130 to heat the air mass and improve the vaporization exchangeinto the air mass. The heating temperatures may range from about 70° F.on cold days to over about 130° F. on hot summer days. Heaters 140 mayaid in evaporating the water within tunnel 130.

Chamber 142 may be disposed between blower 136 and nozzles 138. Chamber142 may be configured to receive/collect solids falling out of the wateras the water evaporates within tunnel 130. Chamber 142 may include anauger 146 for removing solids from chamber 142. Chamber 142 may have adiameter from about 8 inches to about 10 inches or more. Auger 146 maybe of about the same diameter of chamber 142.

In certain embodiments, tunnel 130 may be positioned on a trailer (e.g.,vehicle trailer). FIG. 10 illustrates tunnel 130 positioned on trailer148. Tunnel 130 may be coupled to trailer 148 via lifters 150 (e.g.,hydraulic lifters—lifters actuated via fluid). Lifters 150 may lowerand/or raise tunnel 130, thereby adjusting an inclination angle (e.g.,α) relative to horizontal (e.g., x axis, as shown). Although FIG. 10illustrates a single tunnel 130 and trailer 148, it should be noted thata plurality of tunnels 130 and trailers 148 may be utilized, asillustrated on FIG. 11.

During operation of tunnel 130, water from storage pit 102 may be pumpedto nozzles 138. Nozzles 138 may spray water from storage pit 102 intothe interior of tunnel 130. The nozzles 138 may spray at a rate belowthe absorption rate of the air mass. Blower 136 may capture air from thesurrounding area and blow/force the air through tunnel 130 and outdistal end 134 as heaters 140 heat the air and water mixture. As thewater evaporates, the solids in the water (e.g., salt) may fall out of(e.g., separate from) the water and gravitationally move to the bottomof the angled tunnel 130 where they are collected in chamber 142. Thesolids in chamber 142 may be augured and transported for recycling ordisposal. Tunnel 130 may be scraped to prevent buildup of salts insideof the inner surface of tunnel 130.

It should be noted that blower 104 may be referred to as a first blowerand blower 136 may be referred to as a second blower.

FIG. 12 illustrates another embodiment of evaporation unit 100.Evaporation unit 100 may be positioned within a body of water 101 ofstorage pit 102 (e.g., storage pit may contain produced water which mayinclude brine). Evaporation unit 100 may include blower 104 and a spacer106, as described above. The spacer 106 may be submerged (completely orpartially) in the body of water 101. Blower 104 may be above the watersurface 110. The body of water 101 may be received and stored in storagepit 102 from a subterranean formation.

During operation of evaporation unit 100, blower 104 may capture (e.g.,via suction) an air mass from the surrounding area and may blow/forcethe air mass through spacer 106 into the body of water 101, therebyaerating the body of water 101, as described above. The turbulence ofthe air mass as it passes through the body of water 101 may providesufficient contact time as to allow the air mass to become fully orpartially saturated. As the water evaporates, substances (e.g., salt) inthe body of water 101 (e.g., salt) may accumulate at the bottom 103 ofstorage pit 102. It should be noted that although a single evaporationunit 100 is depicted in FIG. 12, a plurality of evaporation units 100may be utilized, as shown in FIG. 13.

FIG. 14 illustrates another embodiment of evaporation unit 100.Evaporation unit 100 may include blower 104 and a spacer 106, asdescribed above. Evaporation unit 100 may be positioned completelyinside storage tank 1100 (e.g., above ground storage tank or belowground storage tank). Storage tank 1100 may include vents 1106. Spacer106 may be positioned within a body of water 101 of storage tank 1100(e.g., storage tank may contain produced water which may include brine).Blower 104 may be positioned above water surface 110. The body of water101 may be received and stored in storage tank 1100 from a subterraneanformation.

During operation of evaporation unit 100, blower 104 may capture (e.g.,via suction) an air mass from the surrounding area and may blow/forcethe air mass through spacer 106 into the body of water 101, therebyaerating the body of water 101, as described above. The turbulence ofthe air mass as it passes through the body of water 101 may providesufficient contact time as to allow the air mass to become fully orpartially saturated. As vapor escapes from the top (e.g., roof 1104) oftank 1100 (e.g., via vents 1106), any solids in the body of water 101may accumulate at the storage tank floor 1102. It should be noted thatalthough a single evaporation unit 100 is depicted in FIG. 14, aplurality of evaporation units 100 may be utilized, as shown in FIG. 15.

FIG. 16 illustrates another embodiment of evaporation unit 100.Evaporation unit 100 may include blower 104 and a spacer 106, asdescribed above. A portion (e.g., spacer 106) of evaporation unit 100may be positioned within storage tank 1100 (e.g., above ground storagetank or below ground storage tank that may contain produced water whichmay include brine). Storage tank 1100 may include vents 1106. Blower 104may be placed on top (e.g., roof 1104) of storage tank 1100. Spacer 106may extend from blower 104 into the body of water 101. Blower 104 may besecured to roof 1104 by any suitable means, such as, welds, bolts,screws, or combinations thereof. The body of water 101 may be receivedand stored in storage tank 1100 from a subterranean formation.

During operation of evaporation unit 100, blower 104 may capture (e.g.,via suction) an air mass from the surrounding area and may blow/forcethe air mass through spacer 106 into the body of water 101, therebyaerating the body of water 101, as described above. The turbulence ofthe air mass as it passes through the body of water 101 may providesufficient contact time as to allow the air mass to become fully orpartially saturated. As vapor escapes from the top (e.g., roof 1104) oftank 1100 (e.g., via vents 1106), any solids in the body of water 101may accumulate at the storage tank floor 1102. It should be noted thatalthough a single evaporation unit 100 is depicted in FIG. 16, aplurality of evaporation units 100 may be utilized, as shown in FIG. 17.

FIG. 18 illustrates another embodiment of evaporation unit 100.Evaporation unit 100 may include blower 104, spacer 106, and diffuser108. Evaporation unit 100 may be positioned completely inside storagetank 1100 (e.g., above ground storage tank or below ground storage tankthat may contain produced water which may include brine). Storage tank1100 may include vents 1106. Spacer 106 and diffuser 108 may besubmerged (completely or partially) within the body of water 101 ofstorage tank 1100. Blower 104 may be positioned above water surface 110and within storage tank 1100. The water 101 may be received and storedin storage tank 1100 from a subterranean formation.

During operation of evaporation unit 100, blower 104 may capture (e.g.,via suction) an air mass from the surrounding area and may blow/forcethe air mass through spacer 106 and diffuser 108 into the body of water101, thereby aerating the body of water 101, as described above. Theturbulence of the air mass as it passes through the body of water 101may provide sufficient contact time as to allow the air mass to becomefully or partially saturated. As vapor escapes from the top (e.g., roof1104) of tank 1100 (e.g., via vents 1106), any solids in the body ofwater 101 may accumulate at the storage tank floor 1102. It should benoted that although a single evaporation unit 100 is depicted in FIG.18, a plurality of evaporation units 100 may be utilized, as shown inFIG. 19.

FIG. 20 illustrates another embodiment of evaporation unit 100.Evaporation unit 100 may include blower 104, spacer 106, and diffuser108, as described above. A portion (e.g., spacer 106 and diffuser 108)of evaporation unit 100 may be positioned in storage tank 1100 (e.g.,above ground storage tank or below ground storage tank that may containproduced water which may include brine). Blower 104 may be placed on top(e.g., roof 1104) of storage tank 1100. Spacer 106 and diffuser 108 maybe submerged (completely or partially) within the body of water 101 ofstorage tank 1100. Blower 104 may be secured to roof 1104 by anysuitable means, such as, welds, bolts, screws, or combinations thereof.The body of water 101 may be received and stored in storage tank 1100from a subterranean formation.

During operation of evaporation unit 100, blower 104 may capture (e.g.,via suction) an air mass from the surrounding area and may blow/forcethe air mass through spacer 106 into the body of water 101, therebyaerating the body of water 101, as described above. The turbulence ofthe air mass as it passes through the body of water 101 may providesufficient contact time as to allow the air mass to become fully orpartially saturated. As vapor escapes from the top (e.g., roof 1104) oftank 1100 (e.g., via vents 1106), any solids in the body of water 101may accumulate at the storage tank floor 1102. It should be noted thatalthough a single evaporation unit 100 is depicted in FIG. 20, aplurality of evaporation units 100 may be utilized, as shown in FIG. 21.

It is believed that the operation and construction of the presentdisclosure will be apparent from the foregoing description. While theapparatus and methods shown or described above have been characterizedas being preferred, various changes and modifications may be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure asdefined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for aerating, evaporating, and treatingcontaminated water comprising: at least one evaporation unit, whereinthe at least one evaporation unit comprises: a first blower configuredto suction an air mass proximate the contaminated water; and a spacerfluidly coupled to the first blower; a diffuser fluidly coupled to thespacer; and, at least one arm fluidly coupled to and disposed radiallyaround the diffuser, wherein the at least one arm is hollow and isconfigured to allow the air mass to pass through the at least one arm;wherein the at least one arm is configured to rotate to create anegative pressure as to allow the air mass to be drafted out into thecontaminated water.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least onearm has a plurality of apertures.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein eachof the plurality of apertures has a diameter about 1 inch to about 2inches.
 4. The system of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality ofapertures provides an air flow at an angle relative to a central axis ofthe at least one arm.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the angle isabout 10° to about 90°.
 6. The system of claim 4, wherein the angle isabout 40° to about 50°.
 7. The system of claim 4, wherein the angle isabout 45°.
 8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a venturifluidly coupled to a distal end of the at least one arm.
 9. The systemof claim 1, further comprising a screen fluidly coupled to a distal endof the at least one arm.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein a mesh sizeof the screen is about 20 to about 100 mesh.
 11. The system of claim 1,further comprising a plurality of hollow tubes fluidly coupled to the atleast one arm.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the pluralityof hollow tubes is coupled to a body of the at least one arm at an anglerelative to a central axis of the at least one arm.
 13. The system ofclaim 12, wherein the angle is about 10° to about 90°.
 14. The system ofclaim 12, wherein the angle is about 40° to about 50°.
 15. The system ofclaim 12, wherein the angle is about 45°.
 16. The system of claim 11,wherein a length of each of the plurality of hollow tubes is about 8inches to about 12 inches.
 17. The system of claim 11, wherein an innerdiameter of each of the plurality of hollow tubes is about 1 inch toabout 4 inches.
 18. The system of claim 1, wherein a length of each ofthe at least one arm is about 12 inches to about 96 inches.
 19. Thesystem of claim 1, further comprising at least one drying tunnel,wherein the at least one drying tunnel comprises: a second blower,wherein the second blower is fluidly coupled to an end of the at leastone drying tunnel; a heater coupled the at least one drying tunnel; atleast one nozzle configured to be a coupled to the contaminated body ofwater, the at least one nozzle disposed between the heater and thesecond blower; and, a chamber configured to collect solids.
 20. Thesystem of claim 19, wherein the at least one drying tunnel is positionedat an angle from about 30° to about 90° relative to horizontal.